Nicole721 Takes on the SUNSHINE: A Full PICTORIAL Review

[Nicole721]

Debarkation takes awhile and our flight wasn’t until the afternoon, so we took our time in having our breakfast al fresco in the brisk Florida air.

 

 

Jaime announced that we were slightly delayed in debarkation but didn’t mention why. Either way, we headed down to the Limelight Lounge (which served as the Platinum/Diamond lounge/Special Needs debarkation lounge) when they began self assist and within minutes, Jaime had come over to personally escort the VIFP group down.

 

We left the lounge around 8:15 am, dinged out one last time, grabbed our luggage (props to the good people at Port Canaveral who line luggage up the old fashioned way instead of using carousels that take forever and a half) and we sailed right through customs. We boarded our transfer less than a half hour from when our number was called.

 

[Nicole721]

The drive from Port Canaveral to Orlando International takes around 45 minutes and, predictably, the airport was packed with people going home from their Christmas trips and Floridians leaving for their New Years trips. Thankfully, my status on American meant we could check our bags via the Priority line. I booked Mom’s flight, so she could use the Priority line with me and both of us got lucky to find TSA Precheck also stamped on our boarding passes, but Stephanie was on a separate reservation and had neither Priority or Precheck and we split up at security. Mom and I walked through security in (I kid you not – I timed it) two minutes and settled in to wait for Stephanie to make her way through. And a little bit of luck found its way to her, too – she was randomly assigned to a Precheck line anyways, and we were reunited and riding the monorail to the gates within ten minutes.

 

 

With nearly three hours to kill before our flight, we exhausted nearly every option MCO offers: we walked around and browsed the shops, we grabbed lunch, we hooked into the free wi-fi and we paced corridors.

 

 

 

Oh, and pro tip? Don’t wait until you’re at the airport to buy those Disney souvenirs. Yikes.

 

 

We eventually settled in at the gate so I could wait out my least favorite game: Clear an Upgrade at Departure. And in true fashion, I was the only person on the upgrade list not to clear (in the interest of full disclosure, there were also only four people on the list and the only upgrades I can seem to ever clear are 7:00 am Sunday flights to Seattle, so my hopes were low to begin with). But it was a quick, smooth flight and that’s all that really matters, isn’t it?

 

[Nicole721]

And it ended as it began: walking through O’Hare, anticipating the next time I’d be back strolling that same corridor and where I’d be off to next.

 

 

Stephanie had parked at the airport, and as soon as we were in the car driving downtown towards my condo, our discussion was firmly planted forward…because up next? Vista. Europe. Whoa.

 

So that just about closes the book on our Sunshine cruise! Thanks again for reading along, for the kind words and most of all, for letting me re-live our cruise! If you're coming up on a cruise on the Sunshine (or a cruise to Aruba/Bonaire/Grand Turk) and have any questions, I'll still be lurking around here :) Or, if you're into the whole social media ~thing, you can find me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! I love connecting with fellow cruise fanatics (and I'll be live posting from the Vista in six weeks and I'd love to share it with all of you!).

[Virgincruiser510]

Thank you for this very thorough review Nicole. I'll be sailing on Sunshine in July. I appreciate your tips and, as I read your review, I'm taking notes. I will definitely be hitting Cucina the first night. I'm with you. Can't refuse a free carafe of wine.

[pghsteelerfan]

I just finished your last update, and end of your review and again, I felt like I was on the cruise with you. As always, I really enjoyed reading and I think I've commented before that I just love your pictures. Thank you for taking the time to do another wonderful review and I always look forward to the next. I hope you have a wonderful cruise on Vista.

[Nicole721]

Thank you for this very thorough review Nicole. I'll be sailing on Sunshine in July. I appreciate your tips and, as I read your review, I'm taking notes. I will definitely be hitting Cucina the first night. I'm with you. Can't refuse a free carafe of wine.

 

Thanks! Hope you enjoy Cucina as much as we do!

 

I just finished your last update, and end of your review and again, I felt like I was on the cruise with you. As always, I really enjoyed reading and I think I've commented before that I just love your pictures. Thank you for taking the time to do another wonderful review and I always look forward to the next. I hope you have a wonderful cruise on Vista.

 

Thanks for reading along! Can't wait to bring you guys along when I start that Vista review! :D

[nicole9s]

Just finished your report and as usual, it was great! I used to have your blog favorited on my computer but 'lost' you when I got a new one. So glad to reconnect, and just followed you on twitter.

 

I'm in the initial stages of researching/booking the Sunshine for a trip out of NYC next year, so this was super helpful, thanks again!

 

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

[mississauga]

Thanks Nicole for another great review. Have loved reading them all.

 

Wish we could meet in person so I can thank you with a drink for all the time you have taken over the years to write these fantastic reviews and sharing your photos.

 

We just missed you on the Sunshine. We were on her Nov 28-Dec 19 for the journey cruises. Now we will miss you again on the Vista. We get off May 14 and you are getting on.

[Nicole721]

Thanks Nicole for another great review. Have loved reading them all.

 

Wish we could meet in person so I can thank you with a drink for all the time you have taken over the years to write these fantastic reviews and sharing your photos.

 

We just missed you on the Sunshine. We were on her Nov 28-Dec 19 for the journey cruises. Now we will miss you again on the Vista. We get off May 14 and you are getting on.

 

One of these days, we'll find ourselves on the same cruise, Mary! Wave if you see us in the terminal -- I'd love to say hi! :D

 

Just finished your report and as usual, it was great! I used to have your blog favorited on my computer but 'lost' you when I got a new one. So glad to reconnect, and just followed you on twitter.

 

I'm in the initial stages of researching/booking the Sunshine for a trip out of NYC next year, so this was super helpful, thanks again!

 

Sent from my SM-G386T using Tapatalk

 

I'm so glad you found me! Let me know if you have any Sunshine ?'s while you're planning! :D

[podsnel]

Thanks so much for writing such a thorough report! Looked like a lot of fun- crazy how rough the seas have been this year (I experienced them going to the Bahamas out of PC in February and also on a cruise to nowhere out of NJ in March). Just an odd year for it! Anyway, thanks again, really enjoyed your writing-

 

Ellen

[Nicole721]

Thanks so much for writing such a thorough report! Looked like a lot of fun- crazy how rough the seas have been this year (I experienced them going to the Bahamas out of PC in February and also on a cruise to nowhere out of NJ in March). Just an odd year for it! Anyway, thanks again, really enjoyed your writing-

 

Ellen

 

Thanks, Ellen! Glad you enjoyed! :D